calibre of players who didn't make team hints to something...
TRANSCRIPT
Not your typical visit with the in-laws
Calibre of players who didn't make team hints to something
out of ordinary
By Ed Willes, The Province October 1, 2009
Maybe we've seen one too many preseason games in Saskatoon or written one too many stories
about the battle for the 13th forward spot, but, for the seasoned hockey scribe, training camp is
generally as exciting and eventful as reruns of The Trouble with Tracy.
Back in the Paleolithic Era, for example, we were forced to watch an exhibition game between
the Winnipeg Jets and the Minnesota North Stars in Grand Forks, N.D., which was as
excruciating as it sounds. Despite years of therapy we're still haunted by that memory and that's
why the preseason, like a weekend with the in-laws, is meant to be endured, not enjoyed.
But this season, the Vancouver Canucks broke dangerous new ground when some significant
developments emerged from their camp. And we're not talking about the competition for depth
positions. We're talking about decisions which will have a profound effect on the team now and
in the future.
Put it this way. When you look at the calibre of player who failed to crack the Canucks' lineup
this season, you know something out of the ordinary was going on. Maybe that means those
players weren't good enough. Or maybe it means the Canucks' lineup was too good for them and
that would speak volumes about this team.
"There's a reason you have training camp and that's to give everyone the opportunity to show
what they can do," said head coach Alain Vigneault. "Can veterans assume a bigger role? Can
the kids play here?
"We were able to answer a lot of those questions."
But they may have raised some bigger questions in the process.
After some three weeks of trial and error, Vigneault admitted the team which flew to Calgary
yesterday for tonight's season-opener is markedly different from the one the organization
envisioned at the conclusion of the '08-'09 season. While he didn't get into specifics, that team
probably included Cody Hodgson and Michael Grabner among the top-nine forwards and Cory
Schneider as the backup goalie.
If there was going to be a surprise on the Canucks, in fact, it would likely be with a player like
Jannik Hansen who's in his third year with the team. But it didn't figure to be with Aaron Rome
or Tanner Glass and it certainly didn't figure to be with Sergei Shirokov playing on the second
line and the first power-play unit.
But damn if that isn't the case.
Shirokov, of course, simply grabbed a feature role among the forwards by outplaying Hodgson
and Grabner to an alarming extent in the preseason. Whether or not he's still there in December is
another matter, but the 23-year-old Muscovite earned his spot.
"He hasn't been intimidated when he's been playing with more experienced players," said
Vigneault, who'll have Shirokov on the first power-play unit with the Sedins and playing with
Ryan Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson on the Canucks' second line.
"Cody (Hodgson) seemed to have a tougher time when he was playing with more experienced
guys. This kid just stepped in there and played.
"You need surprises. Last year we had guys like Kesler and (Alex) Burrows have breakout
seasons. We need guys to have breakout seasons and assume a bigger role on this team. Maybe
this is one of the players who can do it for us."
But there's also more to it than that. By keeping players like Shirokov, Glass, Rome and backup
goalie Andrew Raycroft, the Canucks have sent a powerful message to everyone in the
organization.
For starters, they're saying our focus is on winning this season and we're going to keep the
players who give us the best change of attaining that goal. In year's past, Hodgson might have
been conceded a position based on his impressive potential. But, relative to the competition in
this camp, it was doubtful he was going to help the team win this season.
It was a similar story with Grabner and Schneider. That doesn't mean they won't make the NHL.
But if they were wondering where the bar is set for the Canucks, they now have a better idea and
that's the other part of the message.
"This is the first time we've had decisions to make at every position, from goaltender out," said
Vigneault.
Which is too bad because training camp used to be a great place to get some rest.
© Copyright (c) The Province
Luongo says out-clause is for protection in
case things change
By Jason Botchford, The Province October 1, 2009
Doubts about the current Canucks' ownership and management are not the reason Roberto
Luongo negotiated an unusual out-clause into his 12-year, $64 million contract extension.
In fact, it was just the opposite.
Speaking for the first time about his escape clause, which triggers in five years, Luongo warned
people not to read too much into it. He said he wanted it as protection in case things change.
"The main reason is you never know what can happen in the NHL," Luongo said. "We've seen
owners change, general managers change. Things can change.
"If we're in the same environment we are today there will be no need for it at all. But who knows
what's going to happen five years down the road? Maybe the team will be sold, or GM (Mike
Gillis) won't be here."
Here's how the clause works: If Luongo isn't pleased with where the team is at, or where it's
heading, four years into his extension, he can then trigger a trade. The Canucks have agreed to
accommodate a request at that time by moving Luongo. He will be able to narrow down the
possible destinations.
The out clause is timed for five years from now, for what should be an organizational crossroads
-- the exact same offseason the Sedins' deal is up.
"Maybe the team starts to head in a different direction," Luongo said. "Maybe they want to
rebuild. Who knows? There are so many things. There are millions of possibilities that are out
there."
Several years later, after the contract extension's seventh year, the Canucks have a reciprocal
clause. If they want to go in another direction, they will have an opportunity to move Luongo
despite his no-trade clause.
© Copyright (c) The Province
Canucks Gameday: Oct. 1
The Province October 1, 2009
Vancouver Canucks at Calgary Flames, 7 P.M., Pengrowth Saddledome
TV: CBC; Radio: TEAM 1040 AM
The setup: What better way for the Vancouver Canucks to begin this extraordinary 2009-10
season than with a barometer game with the team that will likely challenge them for top spot in
the Northwest Division?
Expect the Calgary Flames to come out smoking in front of their fans for the home opener at
Pengrowth Saddledome, and for the Canucks to respond in what should be a highly charged
affair.
Plus the game is the second of two on Hockey Night in Canada, after the Montreal-Toronto tilt.
Drop the puck already!
Injury report:
Canucks: D Mathieu Schneider (shoulder); LW Pavol Demitra (shoulder); RW Jannik Hansen
(fractured fingers). Flames: RW Brian McGrattan (shoulder).
Three things to watch
1 Louie vs. Kipper
Calgary's new head coach Brent Sutter has placed his No. 1 priority on reducing the goals-
against this season and some of that lies at the feet of goalie Miikka Kiprusoff. On the other side
of the rink, you know that Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo is primed to have a good start to
the season for multiple reasons. For one, Louie knows the tough schedule demands a strong start
-- and there is always that Olympic roster spot.
2 Rookie winger Sergei Shirokov
The pint-sized Russian showed throughout the preseason that his talent is big. He led the team in
scoring in the exhibition season (2-5-7), displaying the kind of speed and hockey savvy that the
new NHL loves. He'll start tonight on a line with Ryan Kesler and Mikael Samuelsson, but will
be on the first-unit power play with the Sedins -- with whom he has meshed ridiculously easily.
3 Canucks power play
The Canucks simply have to be better this season with the man advantage to take the next step.
Last season's 17th overall (18.8 per cent) is simply not good enough. GM Mike Gillis has added
skilled D-men Christian Ehrhoff and Mathieu Schneider (who'll miss the first month) as well as
Mikael Samuelsson and the Canucks should benefit from the sudden arrival of Sergei Shirokov.
Now for the pieces to fit together ...
© Copyright (c) The Province
Gillis refutes Burke's draft trade talk
Burrows, Bieksa and team's No. 1 pick for Tampa Bay's
Hedman?
By Jason Botchford, The Province October 1, 2009
Vancouver Canucks GM Mike Gillis blasted a trade rumour which was featured prominently in a
behind-the-scenes documentary on the Toronto Maple Leafs' 2009 draft.
In the Leafs TV production which aired Tuesday, Toronto GM Brian Burke appears to break the
league's code of conduct, one followed by most NHL executives, when he is essentially caught
rumour-mongering. Burke is seen addressing his war room at the draft when he suggests the
Canucks offered a huge package to Tampa Bay -- Kevin Bieksa, Alex Burrows and their No. 1
pick -- in an effort to get the second pick overall to draft Victor Hedman.
"There is absolutely no truth to it whatsoever," Gillis said Wednesday from Calgary. "It's an
absolutely preposterous idea.
"If you look at what we're doing, things like re-signing Roberto Luongo and the Sedin twins to
long-term deals, it makes no sense at all."
He's right. The Canucks are trying to win now. That's what they pitched to Luongo and the
Sedins before re-signing them. It makes Burke's rumour sound outlandish.
What is most surprising, even for Burke, is that he allowed the comments to air. If he said it in
private, it's fair game. But the Leafs used the segment for their opening scene despite the fact
Burke admitted it's unsubstantiated, second-hand information.
"Vancouver has made a major effort to get the second pick out of Tampa Bay," Burke claims in
Part 1 of the series, which can be seen on the Leafs' website. "We heard they offered -- again this
is all second-hand so we don't know if it's true -- we heard they offered Burrows, Bieksa and
their own pick. Those are two pretty good players."
Most NHL executives follow a code of conduct where they don't talk about players on other
teams. It's not often you see one spreading rumours in a public forum. The job of spreading
around the league's garbage is usually reserved for bloggers, fans and reporters.
"I was under the impression general managers were not supposed to speak about other teams
players publicly in circumstances like this," Gillis said. "But I guess those rules don't apply."
Asked if he thinks the league should talk to Burke, Gillis said: "That's up to them."
The biggest issue for the Canucks is the effect it may have on Bieksa and Burrows. When trade
rumours come from a GM, players tend to believe them. A similar issue concerned Edmonton
Oilers GM Steve Tambellini after someone leaked the players he offered during his pursuit of
then-Ottawa Senators sniper Dany Heatley.
"I spoke to both [Bieksa and Burrows] when we got off the plane, to make sure they understood
that there was absolutely no truth to it," Gillis said. "How it affects them, I don't know. I hope it
doesn't."
For several reasons, Burke appears to be going out of his way to intentionally prod the Canucks.
In the video, he talks about several other teams but doesn't mention any other players. In
addition, this isn't the first time Burke has spread a rumour about the Canucks since Gillis took
over.
On the first day of the 2008 draft in Ottawa, Burke approached more than one member of the
media and said the Sedins were in play, suggesting the Canucks were shopping the pair. It
initiated a ridiculous chain of events and led to dozens of false reports.
It doesn't end there. On June 30, Leafs head coach Ron Wilson was on a Toronto radio station
when he strongly suggested the Leafs planned to go after the Sedins on July 1. His comments
appear to be in breach of NHL Bylaw No. 15.
The league launched a tampering investigation, Burke made a joke: "If we tampered, we're pretty
poor at it because those two kids are still sitting in Vancouver."
© Copyright (c) The Province
Jam-packed preseason puts jam into
Canucks
Team identity was already in place before exhibitions
By Tony Gallagher, The Province October 1, 2009
The traditional routine for an NHL team during the preseason is to get much of the
experimentation over early and then put your team together for a dress rehearsal in the last two
games — or at the very least, the last one before the season starts.
Not so with your Vancouver Canucks this season. By the time they reached the last two games
they still had enough bodies to do a remake of El Cid, and on top of that they finished with a
bizarre four games in five nights to the jingle of cash registers across Western Canada. That's
certainly one way for the general manager to live up to his reputation as a bit unorthodox.
Now as to whether this will make a difference tonight in Calgary, the party line is "no way."
"I think everyone will just plug in to what they've been doing because we've had the lines
together, most of us have played together before and we've all been using the same system, so
there shouldn't be much of a problem," says Ryan Kesler. "Now we've had a couple of practices
together, everything seems to be fine."
There may be something to that argument. While there may be quite a few changes over last
year's team, most of these new guys are plugging into someone's spot: On Kesler's line, Sergei
Shirokov for Mats Sundin, and Mikael Samuelsson for Pavol Demitra or vice-versa. As far as the
rest of the forwards go five-on-five, everyone else is the same unless Tanner Glass draws in for
Darcy Hordichuk or Rick Rypien on the fourth line.
At the back, what is to be decided first and foremost is how the ice time left by the departed
Mattias Ohlund will be divvied up with a full lineup. Certainly Christian Ehrhoff will get his
share, and likely Alex Edler will gobble up most of the rest if things go according to plan. But as
far as saving the last exhibition game for one dry run for real before the season starts for real —
simply didn't happen.
"We couldn't do it with four in five nights and with all the extra guys around, and I couldn't play
the Sedins in back-to-back games," said head coach Alain Vigneault, who doesn't think it's going
to be a problem, but his druthers would have been to get some of the experimentation over
earlier. "To me, the ideal number of exhibition games is seven, with more at the beginning when
you make your decisions and then a couple at the end with your team. Playing Edmonton and
Calgary makes sense for us, and we should be able to get one of those American teams that has
nobody watching them at this time of year to come in and play us here next year. But this year
we had the eight, then we get that extra one coming at us in Terrace.
"But if you want to take the positives out of it, we got the chance to look at a lot more guys who
are going to be part of this team. We got to work with them a lot more than you normally do, and
spend a lot more time telling them what we want and how they can best improve, and I think
that's really going to help us down the road."
He has a point. With all the injuries which you would expect to eventually come along to any
team playing a schedule as compact as this one, six days shorter than even the last Olympic year,
replete with lethal road trips immediately before and after the Olympics, having guys completely
familiar with what's going on here has to be a benefit. They kind of stumbled into it — or did
GM Mike Gillis plan that regular season? — but it may turn out to have been a blessing in
disguise, as long as they get off to a solid start.
"It's always been two set lines and four D, so we've had chunks of the team together in one form
or another in every game, so I don't think it's going to be a problem," says Lorne Henning, the
assistant GM who will do much of the travelling with the team this season, with Gillis saying he
wants to back off this year, which was his original plan when he took the job.
"We've had the two practices all together which were pretty good, so I think we should be all
right."
We'll find out soon enough.
© Copyright (c) The Province
Does a Canucks' loss ruin your day? Take a
time out
By Douglas Todd, Vancouver Sun October 1, 2009
'We are all Canucks." This slogan captures the heart of what it means to be a die-hard hockey fan
in British Columbia: It's all about belonging.
When a fan emotionally attaches to the Vancouver Canucks, rides the peaks and valleys of their
twisted road toward victory (or loss), he or she feels like part of the team.
Sports psychologists call the most zealous fans "high-identifiers." They're the supporters who
live and die, almost literally, with every move of their team.
In B.C., the Canucks' community is surprisingly vast. And often intense.
What explains the addictive loyalty so many have for Vancouver's crazy Canucks, who have
only twice come anywhere close to winning a Stanley Cup?
I'm convinced a big part of the Canucks' remarkable success in attracting fans has to do,
paradoxically, with how the province is one of the most individualistic regions in North America.
According to Canadian pollsters such as Reginald Bibby, British Columbians are among the
most likely on the continent to distrust institutions, value individual freedom and follow a do-
your-own-thing ethos.
In such a fragmented culture, I believe many British Columbians yearn for some acceptable way
to bond with one another.
For millions, the Vancouver Canucks fill the ticket. It's their way to feel inter-connected.
The Canucks season fosters a rare sense of community on this rugged West Coast of Canada.
Almost everybody talks about the team's on-ice exploits. It creates instant networks.
There is no other organization in B.C. that ties people together more. Not a political group,
religious organization or cultural event.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not immune to sports fandom. Allying with a sports team is something I
do with my sons.
It's a classic male way to bond, although women are also often lured by the smell of team spirit.
Is it good to be a true-blue fan?
Most of the time, mental health experts say.
In a province with such a highly mobile population, psychologists say identifying with a team
can be emotionally healthy.
It can be a blast to join with friends to cheer on a team, shout from the sidelines, buy a jersey,
follow its statistics, resonate with its wins and even grieve its losses.
Gathering together, even if it's just around a radio or a TV screen, can make our lives a bit more
interesting. For the most part, allegiance to the Canucks seems perfectly fun and fine.
Of course, there are always a few devotees who cross the line. Well, sometimes more than a few.
They become obsessed with the team.
Psychologists call them "de-individuated."
A loss of individuality occurs when these fans, like religious zealots, give up their own
personalities to merge with "their" Canucks. They cannot live without them.
These fans fundamentally believe their lives are intertwined with the team's.
Psychologists say they even believe they have control over the team's destiny.
Deep down they believe a winning team makes them winners, a losing team makes them, well,
losers.
De-individuated fans' adrenalin pumps like crude oil when a player drops his gloves for an on-ice
fistfight. Everything becomes electric. Often loosened up by beer, they egg on the punching
player, even if they're only shouting at a TV.
You could call them fans who love too much.
If such addicts didn't feel like a member of the Canucks "family," they wouldn't know who they
are. Like football nuts in the U.S. and soccer crazies in Europe, when they can't identify with
their team they get depressed. They become anxious.
They feel alone.
Sports don't have to be this way.
You can enjoy connecting with the Canucks "community" -- or with any professional team --
without losing yourself.
I know he's just a soccer guy, but Vancouver Whitecaps FC president Bobby Lenarduzzi recently
told me he doesn't have a lot of time for sports "fanaticism."
As Lenarduzzi rightly said, "The word itself suggests you've gone beyond the norm of what it
means to be a fan."
Enthusiasm is good. But Lenarduzzi said there's no point in letting your team's loss ruin your
day, or week.
"If you're so fanatical it affects your personality, then that's not healthy. And there are plenty of
people like that."
Instead of becoming "one" with the Canucks, B.C. Lions, Whitecaps FC, Toronto Blue Jays or
any other professional sports team, you could, to put it simply, practise moderation; learn to
relax.
Seriously, mental health experts recommend that people who give up their own identity to
become one with a team could improve their lives by, first, recognizing they have a problem.
They could then remind themselves their life would be better, including less anxious, without
fixating on their team. They could learn deep breathing.
Those hockey addicts who actually believe "We are all Canucks!" could even get involved with
other kinds of organizations (along with the mighty Canucks, of course).
They could try joining a book or kayaking club, a musical or photographic group. They could try
out a meditation, yoga or prayer group, dealing with their stress at the same time as they get to
know others.
Someone who takes their Canucks passion to questionable levels could even try lacing up some
skates and joining their own team. What a concept. We can do more than spectate. We can
participate.
Canucks hockey is one way to connect with our fellow humans. But it's worth remembering it's
not the only one -- especially when it tends too often to ruin our entire day after a losing game.
Read Douglas Todd's blog at vancouversun .com/Thesearch
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
GAME DAY Back in the saddle again
Vigneault wants surprises from his secondary scorers
By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver Sun October 1, 2009
Alain Vigneault firmly believes his Vancouver Canucks team is capable of making a serious
Stanley Cup run this season.
All that's needed are a few surprises.
The Canucks know Henrik and Daniel Sedin are likely both good for 80 or more points and that
they can also bank on getting blue-chip goaltending from Roberto Luongo.
But much more than that will be required if the Canucks, who begin season No. 39 tonight, are to
end their Stanley Cup drought.
"You need surprises," Vigneault said Wednesday, before he and his players headed to Calgary
for tonight's regular-season opener against the Flames. "Last year, we had guys like [Ryan]
Kesler and [Alex] Burrows come out and have breakout seasons. We need that again, whether it
be Kyle Wellwood or [Sergei] Shirokov or whoever it is. We need guys to come out and have
breakout seasons and assume a bigger role on this team."
Shirokov, the 23-year-old Russian who was the story of training camp, will start the season on
the team's second line and on the first power-play unit with the Sedins.
"Maybe this is one of the players who can do it for us," Vigneault said.
It's a lot to ask from a young player just stepping into the NHL, but the Canucks have decided
they will give Shirokov every opportunity to shine.
"The kid seems to have some upside and we might as well see what he can do at the start of the
season," Vigneault said. "Obviously, there is always adjustments to be made as the season goes
on and we'll see if he can handle the moment. If he can, great for us. If he can't, we'll make some
adjustments."
But besides Shirokov, there is a long list of players the Canucks are hoping will improve enough
to allow them to go deep into the playoffs.
Wellwood, for starters, needs to be a better playmaker than he was last season. While he did chip
in with 18 goals and was especially sharp on the power play, he had just nine assists all season.
The Canucks will be looking for Wellwood to set the table for wingers Steve Bernier and Mason
Raymond. Bernier, of course, needs to finish more of his chances. He had 15 goals last season
and missed a number of great opportunities. He's come to camp in the best shape of his life and
the Canucks don't think 20 to 25 goals is out of the question.
Raymond, too, must continue to evolve as a player and improve at using his terrific speed to
create offence. He had 11 goals last season. A 20-goal season this year would be one of those
"surprises" Vigneault is referring to.
Winger Mikael Samuelsson figures to a get a more offensive role than he had with the Detroit
Red Wings. He loves to shoot the puck and will get his chance to do that more often. Anything
less than 20 goals would be a disappointment.
On defence, Vigneault is banking on the likes of Kevin Bieksa, Sami Salo, Alex Edler and
Christian Ehrhoff giving his team some secondary scoring.
The way Vigneault sees it, the more the scoring can be spread around, the more effective the
Sedins can be. Vigneault thinks that with a strong supporting cast, the twins could each break the
90-point plateau this season.
"I think if our secondary scoring - and I'm talking about our second line, our third line and our
defence - if those guys can contribute more offensively, these guys [the Sedins] can probably get
90 points," he said. "If the other team only has to focus on them, it's more challenging
obviously."
Vigneault has set the bar high for his team.
"We think we are a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup," he said. "We firmly believe
that."
The players seem to believe it, too, and are especially motivated after last season's painful
second-round exit in Chicago.
"I think it is still fresh in a lot of our minds," Bieksa said. "I thought about it all summer long ...
but we learned from it and are looking to get back in that same position this year and win the
games we couldn't last year."
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Henrik's vocal performance earns him an 'A'
By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun October 1, 2009
Separated at birth by only a few minutes, Henrik and Daniel Sedin have been mirror images of
one another since joining the Vancouver Canucks for the 2000-01 season.
Now it's over. There has been a split, a divide, a schism. Henrik was named Wednesday as an
assistant captain -- joining Willie Mitchell and Ryan Kesler -- and Daniel was not. This isn't a
co-share. It's all Hank and no Danny. Apparently it was a traumatic moment when word came
down.
"Danny cried a little bit at first but he's fine now," winked Henrik.
"He's my older brother so he should get the advantage, I guess," countered Daniel. "But if you
ask my mom and dad, they'll tell you I'm more responsible."
More responsible, maybe. But less talkative. The chatterbox title belongs to Henrik and it gave
him the edge.
"It was a tough choice between him and Daniel but Henrik is a bit more outgoing and a bit more
outspoken in the locker room," noted captain Roberto Luongo.
"We thought it was Hank's time," added head coach Alain Vigneault. "He's been here a long time
and he's ready to step up and assume a bigger role. He wanted it and we gave it to him. People
who can tell the twins apart, compared to me, will tell you they are different and Hank is the one
who talks a little bit more."
Henrik, by the way, doesn't intend to challenge Mitchell as the Canucks' most talkative player.
He'll remain the same, he insists.
"I'm not going to change anything I'm doing in the dressing room or on the ice," said Henrik. "It's
a great honour, for sure, but nothing is going to change. I don't think I'm going to do too much
talking to the referees. Refereeing is tough and I have a lot of respect for those guys."
Daniel figures the 'A' on Henrik's jersey will help those unable to tell them apart.
"It's a good thing," Daniel noted. "It's good for our teammates and the referees, too. I'm happy
for Hank. He'll do a good job. I think we are both turning more into leaders, I guess, and we're
trying to talk a little more and be more vocal. So it's nice to see."
With the departure of Mattias Ohlund last July, Henrik and Daniel are the longest-serving
players on the Canucks. This will be their ninth season.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Luongo's secret is out on Sundin
Canuck captain knew Swede would retire
By Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun October 1, 2009
Mats Sundin made official Wednesday what Canuck captain Roberto Luongo had known since
mid-June: The big Swede was hanging them up after a distinguished 18-year NHL career.
"I saw Mats in Vegas at the awards and he told me wasn't going to come back," Luongo said.
"He had a great career and I really enjoyed my time with him. I thought he was a great guy and,
obviously, we saw glimpses of what he could do at times."
Glimpses, of course, were the problem. After reporting last season to the Canucks in late
December, Sundin rarely displayed the form that had made him a dominant player. He appeared
to lag behind in his conditioning and was unable to skate at the NHL pace. Sundin managed just
nine goals in 41 regular-season games with Vancouver.
Sundin made it official at a news conference in Stockholm, admitting his body couldn't withstand
the rigours of another lengthy NHL campaign.
"It feels good, it comes from the heart," Sundin told reporters. "I've had a long career and have
played since I was a child. It's hard to summarize everything but it's been a great journey. I
couldn't have had a better life than the one I've had."
A retirement announcement seemed inevitable when Sundin opted to get married and head out
on a honeymoon two weeks before training camps opened.
"Mats was a great player and a great leader and he could be the best Swede who ever played over
here," said Daniel Sedin. "It's sad to see but he had a great career and it was nice to get a chance
to play with him. It was a short period of time but I think we learned a lot from him."
Sundin, the first overall pick in the 1989 entry draft, finishes with 564 goals and 785 assists in
1346 games. Although he never played in the Stanley Cup final, Sundin won Olympic gold in
2006 and won three world titles in 1991, 1992 and 1998 with Sweden.
© Copyright (c) The Vancouver Sun
Canucks can compete for Stanley Cup, Alain
Vigneault says
BRAD ZIEMER, Vancouver Sun Published: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Alain Vigneault firmly believes his Vancouver Canucks team is capable of making a serious
Stanley Cup run this season.
All that's needed are a few surprises.
The Canucks know Henrik and Daniel Sedin are likely both good for 80 or more points and that
they can also bank on getting blue-chip goaltending from Roberto Luongo.
But much more than that will be required if the Canucks, who begin season No. 39 tonight, are to
end their Stanley Cup drought.
"You need surprises," Vigneault said Wednesday, before he and his players headed to Calgary
for tonight's regular-season opener against the Flames. "Last year, we had guys like [Ryan]
Kesler and [Alex] Burrows come out and have breakout seasons. We need that again, whether it
be Kyle Wellwood or [Sergei] Shirokov or whoever it is. We need guys to come out and have
breakout seasons and assume a bigger role on this team."
Shirokov, the 23-year-old Russian who was the story of training camp, will start the season on
the team's second line and on the first power-play unit with the Sedins.
"Maybe this is one of the players who can do it for us," Vigneault said.
It's a lot to ask from a young player just stepping into the NHL, but the Canucks have decided
they will give Shirokov every opportunity to shine.
"The kid seems to have some upside and we might as well see what he can do at the start of the
season," Vigneault said. "Obviously, there is always adjustments to be made as the season goes
on and we'll see if he can handle the moment. If he can, great for us. If he can't, we'll make some
adjustments."
But besides Shirokov, there is a long list of players the Canucks are hoping will improve enough
to allow them to go deep into the playoffs.
Wellwood, for starters, needs to be a better playmaker than he was last season. While he did chip
in with 18 goals and was especially sharp on the power play, he had just nine assists all season.
The Canucks will be looking for Wellwood to set the table for wingers Steve Bernier and Mason
Raymond. Bernier, of course, needs to finish more of his chances. He had 15 goals last season
and missed a number of great opportunities. He's come to camp in the best shape of his life and
the Canucks don't think 20 to 25 goals is out of the question.
Raymond, too, must continue to evolve as a player and improve at using his terrific speed to
create offence. He had 11 goals last season. A 20-goal season this year would be one of those
"surprises" Vigneault is referring to.
Winger Mikael Samuelsson figures to a get a more offensive role than he had with the Detroit
Red Wings. He loves to shoot the puck and will get his chance to do that more often. Anything
less than 20 goals would be a disappointment.
On defence, Vigneault is banking on the likes of Kevin Bieksa, Sami Salo, Alex Edler and
Christian Ehrhoff giving his team some secondary scoring.
The way Vigneault sees it, the more the scoring can be spread around, the more effective the
Sedins can be. Vigneault thinks that with a strong supporting cast, the twins could each break the
90-point plateau this season.
"I think if our secondary scoring – and I'm talking about our second line, our third line and our
defence – if those guys can contribute more offensively, these guys [the Sedins] can probably get
90 points," he said. "If the other team only has to focus on them, it's more challenging
obviously."
Vigneault has set the bar high for his team.
"We think we are a team that can compete for the Stanley Cup," he said. "We firmly believe
that."
The players seem to believe it, too, and are especially motivated after last season's painful
second-round exit in Chicago.
"I think it is still fresh in a lot of our minds," Bieksa said. "I thought about it all summer long ...
but we learned from it and are looking to get back in that same position this year and win the
games we couldn't last year."
The Vancouver Sun
Canucks trio clear waivers, headed for
American Hockey League
Elliott Pap, Vancouver Sun Published: Wednesday, September 30, 2009
VANCOUVER - Vancouver Canucks defencemen Brad Lukowich, Michael Funk and Lawrence
Nycholat all cleared waivers today, but only Funk and Nycholat will be heading to the Manitoba
Moose.
Lukowich will be assigned to another American League team, most likely in Austin, Texas.
The Moose are already at the five-man limit for veteran players so the Canucks are attempting to
place Lukowich on a team that fits for both him and the organization.
"We are trying to help him out," said Canucks assistant general manager Lorne Henning. "He
was everything we thought he was but unfortunately he makes too much for the cap."
Lukowich was acquired in late August, along with Christian Ehroff, from the San Jose Sharks for
prospects Patrick White and Daniel Rahimi. Lukowich's salary is $1.8 million. He is on the last
year of his contract. He would be subject to re-entry waivers if the Canucks tried to bring him
back.
The Vancouver Sun
It's all up to these Canucks A team is only as good as its players. With that in mind, 24 hours' Guts McTavish and Hosea Cheung take a look at the opening-day roster By GUTS MCTAVISH AND HOSEA CHEUNG, SUN MEDIA
TEAM:
Guts: 101 points. Third in the West. A rare fast start by Luongo sets the pace for a team that is far deeper at all positions than at any other time in its history.
Hosea: 109 points. Second in the West. Barring major injuries, the Canucks will crack 50 wins and the team focus shifts from just winning division title to claiming conference title.
GOALIES
ROBERTO LUONGO
Guts: Can't underestimate how big the Olympic starter motivation will be. Faster start for Lu.
Hosea: It's time for him to get his name on that Vezina trophy. This is the year.
ANDREW RAYCROFT
Hosea: The former Calder winner will come in handy right before the playoffs to give Luongo some rest.
Guts: Let's hope the team doesn't play tentative in front of this backup.
DEFENCE
KEVIN BIEKSA
Guts: Addition of Ehrhoff and Schneider means he returns to his nasty role.
Hosea: Not surprised if he leads the D in points again, but will still hear trade rumours closer to deadline.
ALEXANDER EDLER
Hosea: Career highs are in store for this young Swede and the future of Vancouver's blueline.
Guts: Looking for him to push the 15-goal and 50-point marks this season.
CHRISTIAN EHRHOFF
Guts: Plenty of highs on offence along with a few, "What the hell was that pass?" moments.
Hosea: Good puck mover, but he can't be a defensive liability, especially with AV as coach.
BRAD LUKOWICH
Guts: Hey, look, kids, it's Willie Mitchell at half the price.
Hosea: And at half the effectiveness.
WILLIE MITCHELL
Guts: Considering the new talent on the D, I don't want to see Willie cross centre ice this season.
Hosea: Shutdown ace will have more "pucks stopped on goal line" than "goals for".
SHANE O'BRIEN
Guts: Can't underestimate how important his toughness is on the new offensive-minded D.
Hosea: Odd man out when the top six is healthy. Here's hoping he gets at least one goal this regular season.
AARON ROME
Hosea: Was a write-off after acquisitions but he held his own in preseason. Solid, not spectacular.
Guts: First to be sent down when Schneider returns, first to get the call when Salo gets injured.
SAMI SALO
Hosea: Crucial member on defensive unit but [insert injury joke].
Guts: Once pulled a groin attempting to clear waivers. Still, he's the Canucks' best on the blue line.
MATHIEU SCHNEIDER
Guts: Is capable of putting up good numbers. Let's hope games played is one of them.
Hosea: Getting pucks through with his huge point shot will take pressure off Salo and improve PP.
FORWARDS
STEVE BERNIER
Hosea: Will get more goals and points but nothing drastic. Losing weight doesn't help one finish.
Guts: Could you please explain that concept to my wife? Bernier joins 20-goal club.
ALEX BURROWS
Guts: If he plays on the second line, look for his goal production to drop off.
Hosea: Raised the bar for himself in both scoring and trash talking. Can't wait for his Patrick Kane material.
PAVOL DEMITRA
Hosea: Easy scapegoat for fans, but Demitra, when healthy, does put up points.
Guts: Last year's numbers were better than most think. Still, it's his last season as a Canuck.
TANNER GLASS
Guts: Sometimes longshots do come in. Here's hoping this Glass is half full.
Hosea: Roster spot won't last long but he's a good energy depth player when injuries occur.
JANNIK HANSEN
Guts: Will play sparingly but will add a enthusiastic burst of energy.
Hosea: With that two-way contract, he'll lead the team in points ... Air Miles points.
DARCY HORDICHUK
Hosea: This enforcer does what he gets paid to do. Good enough.
Guts: Rypien's speed will keep Hordy upstairs eating popcorn half the year.
RYAN JOHNSON
Guts: This team's version of Mariano Rivera.
Hosea: I was thinking more along the lines of John McClane, minus the weapons.
RYAN KESLER
Guts: Has enjoyed a meteoric rise on this team. Now it's time to showcase that offence.
Hosea: With permanent second-line duty, two-way man Kesler will reach 30-plus goals and 70-plus points.
MASON RAYMOND
Guts: Both coach and GM expect him to join the 20-goal club. So do I.
Hosea: Don't let a good preseason fool you. It was the same ol' story last year.
RICK RYPIEN
Guts: If he stays healthy, we might just see why AV's been so high on him.
Hosea: One energy shift from him could change momentum in Vancouver's favour.
MIKAEL SAMUELSSON
Hosea: More offensive role will give him career highs. Will lead team in SOG.
Guts: Hopefully his love of shooting the puck will rub off on his teammates.
DANIEL SEDIN
Guts: In the prime of his career. Time to get back to the 30-goal level and beyond.
Hosea: You heard it here first: He'll finish top five in the NHL in goals.
HENRIK SEDIN
Hosea: Big year from Daniel means a big year for Henrik, or is it the other way around?
Guts: Maybe the best Canuck centre of all time. And now he's sniping?!
SERGEI SHIROKOV
Guts: A Russian with some serious finish. Full season equals Calder consideration.
Hosea: Wow, Calder consideration? You must be thinking of the Calder Cup. Expectations are too high for the rookie.
KYLE WELLWOOD
Guts: Look for him to earn that long-term deal GM Mike Gillis wants to give him. Career year for this guy.
Hosea: My money's on Wellwood to pull a Burrows-Kesler. He has to stay consistent throughout the season though.
Disagree? Agree? Tweet us your thoughts to @24hoursvan
Moose reload for Cup run By KEN WIEBE, SUN MEDIA
First and foremost, Manitoba Moose fans would be advised to pick up a program for opening night of the 2009-10 season.
Sure, there is a solid chunk of the Moose nucleus returning from the club that marched all the way to the Calder Cup final before falling in Game 6 at a packed MTS Centre to the Hershey Bears. There are also a host of newcomers who made the opening-day roster and they'll have a
tough task of replacing some of the high-profile players who left the organization in the off-season.
Moose head coach Scott Arniel gave a clear picture when asked about what type of identity he expected for the new version of the antlered ones.
"Obviously, the work ethic has always been a staple for us -- we don't get outworked, whether it's at home or on the road," said Arniel. "Everything is designed around moving our feet and being aggressive."
Centre Marty Murray is excited about the style of play the Moose plan to feature.
"We're going to be kind of a fast, in-your-face team," said Murray. "From playing against them, they're a team that didn't allow you to have a lot of breathing room and you expect that this year. They were a tough team to play against and hopefully, we can continue that this year.
"We have a lot of depth and we're going to have a lot of contributions from everybody."
With that in mind, here's a closer look at what the Moose will look like.
Goalies
Having the reigning AHL goalie of the year back in antlers is welcome news and automatically gives the Moose a better chance than most teams to have success. Cory Schneider is back for his third season as a pro and determined to continue to improve. He hopes to build on an impressive campaign where he was an All-star and was two wins away from leading the Moose to the promised land. He's hoping to appear in 50 to 60 games and carry the load. As has been the case the past few seasons, the Moose brought in an experienced backup who can step in if called upon. Daren Machesney won a Calder Cup with the Bears last spring in a backup role, but was once considered a solid prospect before he was passed in the Washington Capitals organization by Calder Cup final MVP Michal Neuvirth and Simeon Varlamov.
Defence
As the task of reloading was taking place during a short off-season, the buzz about the Moose was that they would feature a much-improved defence corps. Replacing the likes of Maxime Fortunus and Mark Fistric, who had an outstanding Calder Cup playoffs after he was returned by the Dallas Stars, wasn't going to be easy but the Moose feel they'll be a little more mobile on the back end this season, while still featuring enough grit and sandpaper. After failing to find a left-handed shooter to quarterback the power play last season despite an extensive search, it appears the Moose have at least three viable options going into the campaign, including Anaheim Ducks prospect Brian Salcido, veteran Lawrence Nycholat and rookie Evan Oberg. Salcido recorded 43 points with the Iowa Chops last season and is also determined to work on his all-around game, Nycholat was expected to be a bona fide No. 1 D-man with the Moose last season but was claimed on waivers by the Calgary Flames and later traded to the Colorado Avalanche, while Oberg was signed as a free agent after his sophomore season with the University of Minnesota-Duluth and showed some promise during his first NHL camp with the Vancouver Canucks this fall. Veteran Nolan Baumgartner is back and will eat up valuable minutes, Nathan McIver is looking to bounce back after spending too much time in the press
box last season and newcomer Mike Funk is expected to display a combination of strong puck-moving and physical play.
Forwards
The departure of several high-scoring forwards has been well-documented, but the Moose believe they have enough weapons to take care of the lost goals. Lyleton product Murray and former Houston Aeros forward Marco Rosa were brought in to fill the void left by the departure of Jason Krog and Mark Cullen. Murray opens the season on the top line with Michael Grabner and Matt Pope. If Grabner continues to progress, he should eclipse 35 goals (he had 30 last season and added 10 in the playoffs) and could be one of the most dangerous players in the AHL. Pope showed a nose for the net and should pop at least 20 if given Top-6 minutes and power-play time. Alexandre Bolduc has been a valuable checker, but should take on more of an offensive role this season and should crack 20-plus goals. After scoring 21 goals with the Moose last season, Guillaume Desbiens will be asked to chip in offensively again, while the third-and-fourth lines will also need to contribute for the team to be successful. Balance will be key. Although a strong pre-season helped him start in the NHL with the parent Canucks, the Moose should see Russian rookie Sergei Shirokov at some point and he would immediately bolster the offence.
---
WHO'S IN
C Marty Murray (Manchester Monarchs, AHL)
C Marco Rosa (Houston Aeros, AHL)
D Lawrence Nycholat (Colorado Avalanche, NHL)
D Brian Salcido (Iowa Chops, AHL)
D Evan Oberg (free agent signing by Vancouver Canucks)
D Mike Funk (Portland Pirates, AHL)
G Daren Machesney (Hershey Bears, AHL)
F Derek LeBlanc (Rapid City Rush, CHL)
F Matt McCue (Medicine Hat Tigers, WHL)
F Olivier Latendresse (Hamilton Bulldogs, AHL)
D Chris St. Croix (Las Vegas Wranglers, ECHL)
D Neil Petruic (Stockton Thunder, ECHL)
D Geoff Waugh (Binghamton Senators, AHL)
WHO'S OUT
LW Jason Jaffray (Calgary Flames, NHL)
C Jason Krog (Chicago Wolves, AHL)
D Mark Fistric (Dallas Stars, NHL)
C Mark Cullen (Rockford IceHogs, AHL)
G Curtis Sanford (Hamilton Bulldogs, AHL)
D Maxime Fortunus (Texas Stars, AHL)
RW Ray Sawada (Texas Stars, AHL)
RW Michel Ouellet (free agent)
D Shaun Heshka (San Antonio Rampage, AHL)
D Zack FitzGerald (Albany River Rats, AHL)
F Greg Rallo (Idaho Steelheads, ECHL)
D Daniel Rahimi (Rogel Angelholm,Sweden)
D Travis Ehrhardt (Grand Rapids Griffins, AHL)
F Derek Nesbitt (Rockford IceHogs, AHL)
War of words escalates between Canucks and Leafs
Following on from Wilson's comments about Sedin twins, Burke's pre-draft statement about possible Vancouver trade bait stirs the pot once again
Matthew Sekeres
VANCOUVER — From Thursday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 01, 2009
The off-ice rivalry between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vancouver Canucks ratcheted up another notch yesterday courtesy of comments from general managers on both sides.
Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said his franchise would again talk to the NHL about an incident involving a Maple Leafs executive making comments about Vancouver players.
“We’ll talk to [the league] about it and see what their position is but this, in my mind, is another example of the Toronto Maple Leafs trying to upset our team,” Gillis said from Calgary, where the Canucks begin their season with a game against the Flames.
Vancouver’s latest complaint stems from a video on the Maple Leafs website, entitled Behind the
Draft, where general manager Brian Burke discusses the possibility of trading up into the top five slots.
“Vancouver has made a major effort to get the second pick out of Tampa Bay,” Burke tells his scouts at a pre-draft meeting. “We heard they offered - again, this is all second-hand, so we’re not sure - [Alex] Burrows, [Kevin] Bieksa and their own pick. Those are two pretty good players.”
Gillis called the rumour false and said that common sense should have told Burke that it wasn’t true.
“The idea that a team that is trying to win would trade two good players and a first round pick to get a first round pick is preposterous,” Gillis said. “I would’ve thought that a GM with Brian’s experience would realize that.”
Gillis said the Canucks never made an offer for the second selection because the Lightning coveted Swedish defenceman Victor Hedman and were not going to trade the pick if he was available.
Canucks head coach Alain Vigneault admitted that some players can be disturbed by hearing their names in trade rumours, but that they must learn to deal with such distractions.
The latest Canucks-Leafs spat comes on the heels of tampering charges filed by the Canucks against Toronto head coach Ron Wilson this summer.
During a radio interview, Wilson expressed interest in signing the Sedin twins before July 1, or before they became unrestricted free agents, which is a violation of the NHL’s rules against tampering.
The teams play each other on Oct. 24 at General Motors Place.
Sundin will 'be remembered as a winner’
Despite failing to win a Stanley Cup in the NHL, former Swedish teammates say his legacy at home will be vastly different
Matthew Sekeres
VANCOUVER — From Thursday's Globe and Mail Last updated on Thursday, Oct. 01, 2009
Mats Sundin’s North American legacy places him among the best to wear a Toronto Maple Leafs sweater, with the major caveat that he never delivered a Stanley Cup to the world’s most desperate hockey market.
But when it comes to his native Sweden, several former teammates with the Vancouver Canucks said that Sundin’s legacy will be vastly different.
“In Sweden, he’s going to be remembered as a winner,” Canucks assistant captain Henrik Sedin said yesterday. “He’s won at every stage in Sweden. I know he would’ve loved to have won a Stanley Cup. That was the biggest thing for him, but he’s going to be remembered as a winner.”
Sundin, 38, called its quits yesterday after an 18-year NHL career. He scored 564 goals, added 785 assists, and is one of the highest scoring Europeans in history.
Across the pond, Sundin remains the most popular player in Sweden, where he was captain of the senior national team and won gold at the 2006 Turin Olympics. He also won three world
championships and a Swedish Elite League title before becoming the first European to be selected with the top pick in the NHL entry draft.
“It was great to have an opportunity to play with him last year,” Sedin continued. “It was a big thing, especially for us Swedes on the team, to play with maybe the best Swede who has ever played the game.”
Canucks goaltender Roberto Luongo said the news was not surprising to him. He bumped into Sundin at the NHL awards ceremony this June in Las Vegas, where the big Swede told the Canucks captain that he planned to retire. Luongo also took one last friendly dig at his former teammate, mentioning that Sundin never won a world championship “when I was there,” playing for Canada.
When Sundin finished his half-season with the Canucks last year, losing in six games to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Western Conference semi-final, the strong belief was that he was going to retire. He
was noticeably wistful on the bench, and later admitted he was taking it all in should that be his final game.
Canucks management, including general manager Mike Gillis and head coach Alain Vigneault, have both lauded Sundin for the professionalism he showed after signing a $5-million (all currency U.S.) one-year contract with the team last December.
The Canucks had offered a two-year $20-million package, and are lucky that Sundin didn’t accept given his on-ice performance, and the hell it would have wrought on the team’s salary cap this year.
The former Leafs captain looked sluggish throughout his 49 games with Vancouver, was prone to poorly timed penalties, and suffered a knee injury in the playoffs. But Gillis and Vigneault say that he was routinely the first player at GM Place for games and practices, and showed some of their young players how to prepare like a pro.
“He helped the team by the way he played, but for young guys like me, it was great to watch him and talk to him because he’s been around for a long time,” defenceman Alexander Edler said. “I had never met the guy before that, and he turned out to be a great guy.”
Edler and new Canuck Mikael Samuelsson said they grew up watching and idolizing Sundin, and that outside of Toronto, he will be remembered for much more than failing to win a Cup.
“He was a big force and held the Olympic team together,” said Samuelsson, who also won a gold medal in 2006. “It was a thrill to play with him.”
NHL SEASON KICKS OFF WITH FOUR GAMES TONIGHT
TSN.CA STAFF
10/1/2009
With summer in the rear view mirror, the puck is ready to drop for the National Hockey League's regular
season tonight.
For the first time in nearly a decade, the Montreal Canadiens and Toronto Maple Leafs will play their season
openers against one another. The long-time rivals will have plenty of new faces on hand when they help kick
off the regular season at the Air Canada Centre.
Defenceman Mike Komisarek, one of Toronto's big off-season signings, will make his Maple Leafs debut
against his old team. Others looking to make an impression on opening night will be newly-named assistant
captain Francois Beauchemin as well as defenceman Garnet Exelby and forward Colton Orr. Also expected
to play are rookies Viktor Stalberg and Jay Rosehill.
Vesa Toskala will get the start in goal against Montreal. The play of Toronto's incumbent starting goalie will
be under intense scrutiny with highly-touted newcomer Jonas Gustavsson waiting in the wings as his back-
up.
Montreal had an even bigger turnover of players than Toronto did in the off-season. Gone from last year's
opening night roster are long-time Habs Saku Koivu, Patrice Brisebois, Alex Kovalev, Robert Lang,
Alex Tanguay, and Tom Kostopoulos. In their place, the Canadiens welcome Scott Gomez, Mike Cammalleri,
and Brian Gionta. Jacques Martin also makes his debut as the Canadiens' head coach.
Carey Price is expected to start in goal for Montreal. After a rookie season in which he was superb, and a
sophomore campaign in which he had his difficulties, Price is being expected to rebound by Montreal
management and fans.
Toronto has a seven-game winless streak in home openers. The last time they won was in 2000, when they
shut out the Habs 2-0. Last season, the Maple Leafs lost 6-1 to the Canadiens on opening night at the Air
Canada Centre. Toronto and Montreal split six games during last year's season series, with each team
winning twice on the road.
For the second straight year, the Canucks and Flames will drop the puck against each other to open boths
teams' seasons. Last season, Vancouver started off its campaign with back-to-back wins over Calgary,
including a 6-0 blowout at GM place to start things off.
The Canucks took care of their major off-season business by signing the Sedin brothers and Roberto Luongo
to rich, long-term extensions. The core of the team remains the same, and the club will be looking the build
on its second round playoff appearance last spring. Vancouver made only a handful of changes to its roster,
with the departure of Mats Sundin, Mattias Ohlund, and Taylor Pyatt, and the addition of solid defencemen
Mathieu Schneider, Christian Ehrhoff, and Brad Lukowich.
Vancouver had a fine September with a record of 7-0-2 in the preseason. While exhibition games normally
don't count for much, the Canucks' impressive mark did garner some attention around the league and has
helped to boost the impression that they could have a very successful year ahead of them.
The Canucks did attract headlines in recent days by sending prospect Cody Hodgson back to the OHL. The
team's first selection in the 2009 NHL Entry Draft has been expected by some to crack the final roster but
head coach Alain Vigneault said the 19-year-old did not have the skills for the National Hockey League just
yet.
Meanwhile, the Flames season kicks off on home ice with the debut of prize signing Jay Bouwmeester.
Former Flames Adrian Aucoin, Todd Bertuzzi, and Mike Cammalleri are gone, along with Theo Fleury, who
was released from his tryout last week. Miikka Kiprusoff will be back under the microscope in goal, but much
of the attention is also focused behind the bench as hockey fans in Calgary wonder whether Brent Sutter can
push the team further into the post-season.
Kiprusoff finished 45-24-5 with a 2.84 GAA last season.
This clash of solid Northwest Division rivals should be a good teaser of the season to come. Both teams were
eliminated by the Chicago Blackhawks last season (Flames in the first round, Canucks in the second) and
head into the fresh campaign eager to make it deeper into the playoffs this time around.
In Denver, Joe Sakic will have his No. 19 raised to the rafters at the Pepsi Center when the Colorado
Avalanche open their season against the San Jose Sharks. Colorado's long-time captain announced his
retirement this summer and departed as the franchise leader in nearly every offensive category.
New Colorado head coach Joe Sacco is beginning the process of replacing Sakic with a youthful kick. The
Avalanche will start the season with a pair of 18-year old centres in their line-up. Matt Duchene, Colorado's
first-round pick (third overall) in this summer's draft, is expected to debut on a line with Cody McLeod and
Marek Svatos. Ryan O'Reilly, who was drafted in the second round, will centre the fourth line between
T.J. Hensick and Matt Hendricks. Craig Anderson will get the start in goal.
The Sharks will begin their defence of the President's Trophy by welcoming ex-Ottawa SenatorDany Heatley
to the fold. The two-time 50-goal scorer gets a fresh start after his demand to be traded out of Ottawa was
granted, and he arrives with big expectations on his shoulders. In trading away Jonathan Cheechoo and
Milan Michalek to get him, the Sharks are placing their bets that Heatley will return to his former offensive
prowess. Heatley's goal scoring and point productions have dropped in each of the last two seasons.
Heatley joins a strong supporting cast that includes returning stars Joe Thornton and Patrick Marleau, as
well as defencemen Rob Blake and Dan Boyle. Evgeni Nabokov will see the bulk of the starts in goal.
The Avalanche/Nordiques franchise has an opening night record of 16-6-7, which is the third best points-
percentage in the league (.672).
Also, Alexander Ovechkin and the Capitals kick off their season in Boston against the Bruins in what some
fans are expecting to be a possible preview of the Conference final about seven months from now. There are
high expectations for both clubs this season.
This will be the first of four meetings on the 2009-10 calendar, a match-up between two division winners
from last season who shared equally shocking exits from the post-season.
Ovechkin is coming off yet another stellar campaign, in which he scored a league-high 56 goals and put up
110 points, and counted the Hart Trophy among the three major awards he captured at season's end. The
Caps were eliminated in a dramatic seven-game series with the Penguins, who eventually went on to win the
Stanley Cup. It was one of the most intense playoff series in recent memory and featured arguably the
game's top two stars in Ovechkin and the Pens' Sidney Crosby.
In the off-season, the Caps added forwards Brendan Morrison and Mike Knuble to an already-impressive
offence.
The Bruins are also coming off a great season. They cleaned up with four major end-of-season awards and
finished first in the Eastern Conference during the regular season with an impressive record of 53-19-10.
Unfortunately for the B's, they were eliminated in seven games by the Carolina Hurricanes in the second
round of the playoffs.
Veteran goalie Tim Thomas is backed up by Tuukka Rask in the blue paint the season. But perhaps the
biggest adjustment for Boston will be the departure of star forward Phil Kessel, who was acquired by the
Toronto Maple Leafs in September.
The Bruins were second in the NHL last year in goals, thanks in large part to 36 tallies from Kessel. This
season the team will need to prove it can still get the red light going without his offensive prowess. Heading
into last year's playoffs the Bruins were ranked No. 1 - if they achieve the same label come April, which
many hockey fans believe they will, they'll be very hungry to prove the seeding is justified this time around.
With nine of the team's top ten scorers returning from 2008-09, the expectations on Boston are now as high
or higher.
Interestingly, two members of the Bruins - David Krejci and Blake Wheeler - had the top two players in the
league in terms of plus-minus.
The Capitals beat the Bruins in three of four games in last year's season series.
And away we go
Sportsnet October 1, 2009
Following another playoff failure, the Flames enter this season with their sixth coach in seven years. The name of their latest leader - particularly the last one - is very familiar to the Calgary organization.
Brent Sutter begins his tenure Thursday night as the Flames host the defending Northwest Division champion Vancouver Canucks.
Mike Keenan was hired as Flames coach in June 2007 to achieve postseason success with a team that failed to advance past the first round each of the previous two years. Although Keenan guided Calgary to strong regular-season finishes in his two years, the team lost in the opening round of the playoffs both times and he was fired May 22.
A native of Viking, Alberta, Brent Sutter served as head coach of the New Jersey Devils for two seasons before resigning June 9, citing family reasons. It came as little surprise when two weeks later
Brent was hired by brother Darryl, the team's general manager.
"I'm the GM, Brent's the head coach and this is the coaching staff," Darryl Sutter said. "They were the very best people available. It didn't really matter what their last name was."
It will be Brent Sutter's job to take the Flames (46-30-6) deeper than the first round of the playoffs, which is as far as the team has gone the past four seasons, including last year when they were eliminated by Chicago in six games.
"There's high expectations on everybody," Brent Sutter said.
Calgary's biggest offseason on-ice addition is defenseman Jay Bouwmeester, who signed a $33-million, five-year contract before he became an unrestricted free agent July 1.
Bouwmeester, who spent his first five NHL seasons with Florida, has totaled at least 40 points in three of the past four years. The addition of the smooth-skating Bouwmeester should give Calgary an outstanding defense featuring Dion Phaneuf, Cory Sarich and Robyn Regehr.
With Brent Sutter at the helm, the Flames figure to be a better defensive team than last season, when they dropped to 23rd in the league.
"Looking back on last year, in our own zone we probably weren't as tight as we could have been," said captain Jarome Iginla. "We know we can improve in that area."
Calgary led the Northwest by 13 points in January, but injuries and inconsistent play down the stretch left it with a fifth-place finish in the Western Conference.
While Bouwmeester should help the Flames' offense from the back, the departure of Mike Cammalleri and his team-high 39 goals will hurt. With Cammalleri in Montreal, Iginla will be counted on to return to the 40-goal mark after he slipped to 35 last season, matching his lowest total since 2000-01.
Vancouver (45-27-10) is coming off its second division title in three seasons, beating out the Flames
by two points. The Canucks swept St. Louis in the first round of the playoffs, only to fall to Chicago in the conference semifinals in six games.
"This year there is the added element that we are a really motivated group from what we felt we left
on the table," defenseman Willie Mitchell said. "We're not happy about losing in the second round. We feel we are a team that can win the Stanley Cup."
With arguably the best goaltender in the league in Roberto Luongo, the Canucks are always a threat to
go deep in the playoffs. Luongo had another stellar season in 2008-09 despite missing nearly two months with a groin injury, going 33-13-7 with a 2.34 goals-against average and nine shutouts.
Luongo and his teammates will be tested by an NHL-record, 14-game road trip Jan. 30-March 10 due to the Olympics.
Besides signing Luongo to a 12-year, $64 million, the Canucks also resigned Swedish twins Daniel and Henrik Sedin - the team's leading scorers with 82 points apiece - to five-year deals and inked versatile forward Mikael Samuelsson, who brings the experience of winning a Stanley Cup with Detroit.
The Canucks swept the Flames in a season-opening home-and-home series last year, winning the opener 6-0 at GM Place before a 5-4 victory in Calgary on Oct. 11.